RPOVSongs: Put a Flower in Your Pocket by The Arcs, Stranglehold by Ted NugentI hadn't just decided on one of my least favorite punishments, that would've been too easy. So, I decided to enforce them all. I expected at least one of the men to crack eventually and was in no way surprised to find it be Belikov. I was actually counting on it.So far, he had been too calm, too collected, and I wanted to see him lose control. I couldn't have been happier when he challenged me to a fight; it was a win-win situation. I would not only get to kick his sorry ass for disrespecting me but would also finally get to see what he was made of.However, that excitement quickly morphed into massive disappointment. My first few attacks weren't even up to my full speed or power, and he was having serious trouble keeping up. The stench of stale beer and rank sweat from the afternoon's activities was a sure sign that he was still hungover. I tried another few quick maneuvers to get a feel for his skill, b
RPOVSongs: Youth Knows No Pain by Lykke Li, Saint Claude by Christine and the Queens, Wasted Time by Best CoastOver the next couple of days training continued on as planned, and as far as Belikov I did what any mature adult would do...I ignored him. I had Mason and Eddie rotate early afternoon sessions with him that were basically just running, lifting, and other stamina drills to keep him busy. I made sure to dedicate the majority of my focus on the other recruits and began mentally taking notes since the following week we would be sorting them into even more specialized groups to focus intensely on areas that needed work. So far, no one had the guts to bring up the sparring match but I kept good on my word and let the other men go back to their normal schedule.Inevitably, I would find myself at a training session near Belikov, and our interactions—if any—usually ended brusquely. One of those aggravating instances happened when I caught sight of that enormous beast in the middle o
DPOVSong: Kiss the Sky by Shawn Lee's Ping Pong, I Need A Forest Fire by James BlakeAs the night carried on I deftly watched her out of the corner of my eye, examining her in what was supposed to be our night off. A few of the men had set up some fires for us to gather around and brought in some barrels of ale and wine. At first, I wondered if Rose even had the ability to be carefree, but as I observed her I quickly noticed a lighter side of her I hadn't expected.She was right, I really knew nothing about her.I had expected her to sit in a corner with Ashford and Castile, glaring at the rest of us as we indulged in our free time. But I was pleased to find my assumptions were completely wrong. She laughed with her friends, toasted with a few camp members, and even blatantly flirted with some of the men. Not that anyone believed it would actually lead to anything. There was no denying that she was an attractive woman and that coupled with her resilient attitude and high rank made he
RPOVSongs: Riverside by Agnes Obel, Tessellate by alt-J, Blue Moon by BeckI dunked the thin garment into the water and swirled it around before bringing it out and letting the droplets fall back into the stream. "And not to mention, his insane mood swings. Dimitri goes from acting like a complete buffoon to a sulking degenerate faster than you can say dryshite." I wrapped the ends of the fabric around my fists and twisted it to ring the remaining water out."Oh, so we're calling him Dimitri now," Lissa indicated.I tried to think of a way to correct my slip up, but knew it was useless after one peek at her cheeky face. "Well, that is his name after all." I laid the damp garment onto a rock nearby and fished out another one from our laundry basket before continuing my rant. "And on top of that, everything he does has to come with strings attached. He can't just agree to something like a normal person. He has to—""You like him," Lissa blurted out so loudly I thought the entire kingdo
DPOVSongs: It's Hard to Get Around the Wind by Alex Turner, What's in My Head by Fuzz"See you for demonstrations tomorrow, Coimheach." Her wild hair seemed to roll through the air as the wind cascaded along her dark waves. It appeared to have a mind of its own much of the time, but as I watched her jog away I felt somewhat entranced by it as the moonlight danced across those deep brown strands.I had finally become curious enough to ask what that term meant that she had deemed me as on more than one occasion. I discovered from a local troop member that it was often used to describe a stranger or foreigner—not all that clever if you really thought about it. Normally, she used it as a derogatory comment or an insult that admittedly stung a little, but tonight there was a hint of playfulness behind it that I hadn't heard before. Seeing that small, devilish grin that accompanied it made me think that maybe I didn't mind it so much anymore.I turned back towards my tent to see Daisy star
RPOVSongs: Ride this Out by Imaginary CitiesThe realization of what I had gotten myself into last night was enough to clear away any of the haze brought on by the whiskey, sobering me up faster than falling into a frozen pond. Which is why I was surprised by the sickening feeling overcoming me the next day. It must have been some kind of emotional hangover rather than physical. I guess that's what I deserved for acting like a complete idiot—not to mention desperate hussy.I had sent one of the castle Guardians over to camp to let Belikov know he could sleep in as I would not be at one-on-one training this morning. I could get by a few hours under the pretense that something else came up, but I wouldn't be able to hide from him, or my responsibilities, forever. After talking to Victor about the almost Viking attack, which had been only mildly unpleasant thanks to my quick action with the extra guards, I stopped by Lissa's room and had her pull my hair up in tight braids and wore some
RPOVA few years prior to becoming Marshall, I had tried to fit myself into a particular mold. Someone who was sensible, someone who didn't act rashly without thinking first—admittedly one of my more deprecating faults—someone who my family could have been proud of. It wasn't always easy, pushing aside my most primal instincts, but eventually, I had come to some sort of happy medium that I could be satisfied with.Now, I wouldn't necessarily describe myself as a pragmatic person, although it's certainly something I strived to be, but I could at least trust in my gut. I relied on it from time to time when I was on the verge of lashing out or unsure of what move to make, and it usually seemed to steer me in the right course. However, now I had no idea what to trust in. My head, heart, and gut were all screaming at me, begging me to make a choice that followed the correct path. But each path seemed to lead to a dead end and the deafening cries were nowhere close to being answered. I wasn
DPOVSongs: Up Against The Wall by Peter Bjorn and John, Wolf by First Aid Kit, Angel by Massive AttackThe next couple of weeks flew by. Since Rose and I were now conducting regular training sessions with some of the other Dragomir Guardians, I had constructed a schedule alternating mornings and nights so we wouldn't get too burned out; although, the early sessions were admittedly my favorite. We often used that time to take advantage of the lingering sunlight and ran through the Emerald woods. Those runs were some of the most peaceful moments I had ever experienced.I had fallen into an easy rhythm with Rose. Most days our relationship was nothing but professional, but every once in a while we would indulge in friendly conversation and I'd get the opportunity to learn another small piece about the enigma that was Rose Hathaway. She often spoke about Vasilisa and Victor and it was easy to tell how much she loved and admired them. I'd return with tidbits about my family and our life b